Marcia Langton: Women and men need to stand together against family violence

Academic Marcia Langton tells The Point that more Indigenous men need to take a stand against family violence.

Professor Marcia Langton AM, PHD Source: NITV

The Melbourne University professor says Indigenous men are sometimes stereotyped due to disproportionate rates of family violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 

But she says the easiest way to overcome this stigma is by making a stand. 

"There’s a story going around the Aboriginal community that women who speak out against assaults... are blaming all Aboriginal men," says the Yiman woman. 

"Of course that’s not the case.

“We are trying to solve a problem, and we are in fact joined by responsible Aboriginal men who want to solve this problem as well. 

"If they put their hands up and say ‘I stand with women and children, I stand with those who are opposed to violence’, that removes the stigma."

Watch Stan Grant's full interview with Marcia Langton:

Indigenous women are 35 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence and five times more likely to experience physical violence, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

"This has been going on for a long time and it’s getting worse and worse," says Professor Langton. 

"Not all Aboriginal people are criminals.

"There’s a minority in our community who believe that it’s OK to commit these criminal acts.

"We have to join together and stand against it."